444 



THE AMERICAN MUSEUM JOURNAL 



ton Expedition, of which the eminent 

 paUeontologists W. B. Scott and H. F. 

 Osborn were members, gathered impor- 

 tant material, part of which went to the 

 British Museum, and was eventually 

 studied by the present writer. Other 

 specimens and collections exist in ^'arious 

 places, and from time to time reach the 

 hands of students. Unfortunately, pri- 

 vate collectors, and even curators of 

 museums, do not always recognize the 

 obligation to make these precious ob- 

 jects serve the cause of science. 



In 1905, Messrs. Henderson and 

 Ramaley, of the University of Colorado, 

 visited F'lorissant, and secured a small 

 collection, including several new species. 

 In 1906, arrangements were made for 

 more extensive work, with the financial 

 cooperation of the American Museum of 

 Natural History, Yale Uni\ersity, the 

 British Museum, and the University of 

 Colorado. Dr. W. M. Wheeler repre- 

 sented the American Museum in the 

 field, while Mr. and Mrs. Cockerell and 

 Mr. S. A. Rohwer came from Boulder. 

 The results were surprisingly good, and 

 for se^'eral years expeditions from the 

 University of Colorado, cooperating 

 with other institutions, worked during 

 the summer at Florissant. In 1909, 

 Mr. George Sternberg, assisted by a 

 couple of Boulder students, Messrs. 

 Duce and Rusk, made a rather large col- 

 lection, which went to the American 

 Museum, and was described by the 

 writer,' with the exception of a beauti- 

 fully j^reserved geometric! moth, whicli 

 remains at the American Museum un- 

 dcscribed. 



More recently the University of Colo- 

 rado has ceased to send exjjeditions to 

 Florissant, the available time and funds 

 being expended in other direction-;; 

 but the study of the fauiui a'.d flora has 



I /*(///. Anirr. Mux. Ni,!. Hisl., X Wil! , rip. 175-2S8. 



continued, the supply of materials being 

 as yet far from exhausted. 



Perhaps the best public display of 

 Florissant fossils is at the University 

 of Colorado, but that in the hall of geol- 

 ogy at the American Museum of Natural 

 History is scarcely inferior, and a good 

 one is to be seen in the Natural History 

 Museum in London. 



The Plorissant shales are derived from 

 fine volcanic ash, which fell in numerous 

 showers from volcanoes which were ad- 

 jacent to the ancient Lake Florissant. 

 Falling upon or being washed into the 

 lake, this ash formed layers which cov- 

 ered up the numerous insects and other 

 organisms killed by the eruptions, to- 

 gether with plants of all kinds, especially 

 lea\'es of trees. When lava or mud 

 flowed over these deposits, they were 

 sealed up and compressed, forming shale 

 which now can be split with a knife, 

 revealing flattened but wonderfully pre- 

 served remains. After A'olcanic activ- 

 ity had ceased, and the shales had accu- 

 mulated in deep layers, streams flowing 

 over the surface began to cut out the soft 

 rock, and e\'entually formed the valley 

 we find today. It is principally along 

 the sides of this valley that the shale is 

 exposed, and by carefully digging it out, 

 examining every piece minutely, collec- 

 tions may be made by those who are 

 willing to take the; trouble. 



Those who have seen the exhibits in 

 nuiseums are likely to be disappointed 

 when visiting the locality, since first- 

 class specimens are few, and it often 

 seems that nothing of value is being 

 ol)tained to compensate for the labor in 

 cramped and uncomfortable positions. 

 Yet, in the hands of experts, the yield 

 is such as it would be hard to duplicate 

 elsewhere. Thus, in 1912, Professor 

 H. F. Wiekliam, of the University of 

 Iowa, ()l)taine(l nior? than ninety species 

 of l)fH'tles, of which more than fortv were 



